Books

While we appreciate the growing craft beer movement and the art of a perfectly poured pint, we can’t ignore our do-it-yourself instincts. But before we turn the guest room into a rogue brewery, we’ll take some advice from avid home brewer, Matthew Schaefer. His new book, The Illustrated Guide to Brewing Beer ($15), is the...

Ahmet Ertegun isn’t a household name — let alone easy to say, but if you’re a music fan, you’ve probably benefitted from his life’s legacy. Despite being the son of the first Republic of Turkey ambassador to the US, Ahmet channeled his love of Blues and Jazz to found Atlantic records. Not up on your...

The internet meme Awkward Family Photos has certainly faded from its former glory days as the golden child of internet humor, but that hasn’t stopped authors Mike Bender and Dough Chernack from developing their next great wrinkle on the same embarrassing theme — Awkward Family Pet Photos ($10). As you’d expect from the title, the...

When go-to resources like Travelzoo and Jetsetter are just a click away, it’s tough not to let wanderlust get the better of you and your real world budget. Thankfully, there’s plenty of gems right in our own 9,400,000 sq mi backyard — and the Grey Lady can prove it. Filled with photography and gorgeous illustrations,...

The first thing you should know about Maphead ($15) is that it’s written by Ken Jennings. Yes, it’s the same Ken Jennings who won Jeopardy 74 times in a row, taking home $3,172,700 in winnings and claiming the title of all-time leading money winner on American game shows. The second point worth mentioning is the...

Does the name Kevin Mitnick mean anything to you? Unless you happen to work for the FBI or a prominent internet security firm, the answer is probably no. Still, long before groups like Anonymous were practicing their own brand of hacktivism Mr. Mitnick had earned the title as the most wanted computer criminal in the...

Henny Youngman once said, “when I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.” We like to channel the comedian’s wise words by only reading about books that champion drinking, like The Punch Bowl ($10) by Dan Searing. This veritable tome of punchy goodness celebrates the modern renaissance of this social concoction while...

Bleary-eyed and desperately tired, after countless bedtime stories, 1,765 sheep, seemingly gallons of warm milk, and teddy bears, trying to put the little one to sleep is an exercise in frustration and patience. When the former runs high and the latter runs thin, it’s time to pour yourself a double, grab the headphones and unwind...

After spending at least 10 hours a week across the sports media titan’s various TV channels, websites, mobile apps, and maybe even the magazine, you might assume you know what ESPN is all about. A quick read through Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN ($15) proves otherwise. Starting with the...

Even if you don’t have a clue about architecture, you know the name Frank Lloyd Wright. Frank Lloyd Wright: Complete Works, Vol. 1, 1885-1916 ($126) is the start of an upcoming three-volume study on Wright’s roughly 1100 designs, only about half of which ever came to fruition. Done in cooperation with the Frank Lloyd Archives...

It’s tough to appreciate the true beauty of a race car’s design, unless it’s standing still. We also focus so much on the “form follows function” mindset that we fail to see the artfulness of track-only vehicles, especially when they are adorned with every product logo known to mankind. A pictorial homage to the F1...

References from film and TV are what flash into most people’s memory today when the subject of boxing arises in conversation. There are just too many great, engaging examples to draw on, from both real and fictional stories (Rocky 45 and Tyson v. Holyfield being exceptions). Before technology padlocked our imagination, though, writing was the...

Bone up on your photog knowledge with this beautiful coffee table book from one of our favorite publishers, Taschen. Released this April, Photographers A-Z ($42) is filled with 400+ entries on the most influential shutterbugs of the last 100 years including monograph’s from Ansel Adams, Bill Brandy, Irving Penn and Andy Warhol to name a...

We don’t think graphic designers are somehow better equipped to produce more informative travel guides than other people, but they certainly know how to make them more visually appealing. Graphic USA ($20) is a different kind of travel guide covering 25 popular American cities. Graphic designers from each city were invited to share their own...

"Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering." - T. R.

Colonel Roosevelt ($20) is the last and final installment of a trilogy of biographies written by Edmund Morris detailing the life of one of America’s greatest presidents and men. If you haven’t read the other titles which include the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt and Theodore Rex, we would encourage you to start...

Outdoor lovers are well aware of Patagonia as a brand, and have probably spent plenty of time browsing through the companies unique and decidely epic catalogs. Unexpected: 30 Years of Patagonia Catalog Photography ($49) is compendium of over 100+ images submitted by customers and professional wilderness photographers over the last 30 years (of which they...

Hip-hop may not be for everyone, but that hasn’t stopped Jay-Z from becoming a household name. Though his rise to fame stems through rapping, Mr. “I’m not a business-man. I’m a business…man” has earned praise from plenty of those outside the game, including Warren Buffet. So when a mind like that puts its attention towards...

Cookbooks may not be the first thing you’re looking to whip out your wallet for, but having few around is certainly something we’d recommend. Especially if you hope to pull off a home-cooked meal at some point to prove your not completely worthless. Luckily, New York Times food columnist Amanda Hesser has put together a...

Definitely not an e-reader, and not quite a full-fledged tablet, the newly announced Barnes and Noble’s Nook Color ($250) blends an interesting mix of features that could change the current landscape of gadgets vying to replace your laptop, paperbacks, and magazines.

Few people on the planet have ever epitomized rock and roll like Keith Richards. That’s one of the reasons why his long-awaited memoir Life ($16) is a must read. Filled with Keith’s surprisingly crystal clear recollections about the genesis of classics like “Ruby Tuesday” and “Gimme Shelter”, consider it a rare look into the special...

The Masters of Cinema Seriesare essential introductions to the world’s most renowned directors. Each book is written by contributors to the famous Cahiers du Cinéma magazine, and feature over a 100 images of film stills, set photographs, and posters — many of which have never been seen. Organized chronologically, film lovers can also read brief...

There’s no doubt that the creative minds behind blockbuster feature animations like Kung Fu Panda, The Lord of the Rings Two Towers, and Finding Nemo are incredibly talented. But, do you ever find yourself wondering how these artists use their skills when they’re not doodling Scottish ogres? Reading Moonshine: Dreamworks Artists… After Dark! ($14) is...

Earth: A Visitor’s Guide to the Human Race ($15) is like Jon Stewart’s previous book America (The Book), except, instead of ripping on the good ol’ US of A, The Daily Show has the entire planet in their irreverent and witty sights. Filled with page after page of hilarious infographics mocking just about every aspect...

Feeling like your title as resident movie expert is in doubt? Then a quick read through a copy of the Cult Movie Quote Book ($10) should help you set the record straight. Filled with quotes from must see films like Easy Rider, Taxi Driver, Alfie, and the original Italian Job, it’s a perfect gift for...

For some, a vacation is supposed to be an adventure, and nothing’s worse than realizing you’ve spent your hard-earned dough and precious holiday time in a tourist trap. That’s why Rough Guides were developed. If you’re looking to go off the beaten path, these guides are the perfect travel companion for a news and picture...

The absurdist humor of the Brits is the stuff of Pythonic legend, and it lives on in the pages of this brilliant piece of literature: Britain’s traditional traffic handbook as reinvented by the boys of Top Gear. Filled with unbridled sarcasm, general silliness, and automotive expertise, you need only peruse the index to find page...

Operation Red Wings and the Life of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, US Navy Seal

Though the expression is cliché, the freedom that we enjoy in America has always come at a high price. Gary William’s biography of Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor, Silver Star, and Purple Heart, is a meditation on the sacrifice and dedication exhibited by those who have served...

After the recent announcement of the new graphite Kindle DX, you had to figure its smaller e-reader brother would get a refresh soon. Announced yesterday, some welcome changes are hitting the new Kindle like a 21% decrease in size and 15% decrease in weight, while maintaining the same 6-inch e-Ink screen. The new graphite case...

Whether you’re aware of it or not, there’s a growing debate in the U.S. over food. Led by writers like Michael Pollan, the so-called “Food Movement” questions America’s dietary habits and the production practices we’ve adopted to sustain them. In a similar vein, the New York Times seafood writer (yes they actually have one on...

D.I.Y.ers, builders, geeks, mechanics, wood workers, and all around fiddlers aren’t the type who normally need an excuse to find something to do. In the rare instance that your creation queue is dwindling though, picking up a copy of The Best of Make ($24) should keep you busy for at least a week or two....

The world of high stake, high-profile theft has been glamorized by Hollywood for decades. But what is it actually like? Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures ($15) is a look back on the career of Robert K. Wittman who is the founder of the FBI’s Art Crime Team and has...

There’s nothing like a good distraction to keep people from mulling over a void in their lives. Depressed Losties struggling to make sense of their Tuesday evenings now that all of the answers are out there should heed this advice and seriously think about pre-ordering the Lost Encyclopedia ($27). Scheduled to hit shelves everywhere on...

Baseball is America’s past time (if you don’t count Facebook or eating), and that shows no sign of stopping. Will Leitch who is the founding editor of Deadspin.com as well as a contributing editor for New York magazine wrote Are We Winning? in part to commemorate his father and in part for his love of...

Love it or hate it, Facebook has become a world wide online phenomenon. Veteran technology reporter David Kirkpatrick wanted to tell the company’s tale like never before, and enlisted the cooperation of Facebook’s key executives in his research. Don’t assume it’s all roses though. In fact what really caught our eye about this book was...

In a similar move to Shit My Dad Says, the viral internet meme Awkwardfamilyphotos.com has now released a book. Featuring never-before-seen photos, and hilarious stories on just about every uncomfortable family situation you can imagine, it’s a great benchmark to judge your own family by. It also makes Clark Griswald’s life seem amateur. Considering Mother’s...

Active Twitter users may already be well aware of the account of 28 year old Justin Halpern, known as @shitmydadsays. Started after he was dumped by his girlfriend and moved back in with his parents at the age of 28, Justin began sharing with the world his 74 year old father’s foul mouthed nuggets of...

As part of a series of books from The London Museum of Design, Fifty Cars That Changed the World ($14) examines the evolution of the modern era’s most important mode of transportation: the automobile (sorry Dean Kamen it’s not the Segway). Starting in 1908 with the Ford Model T and ending in 1998 with the...

Great works of non-fiction often stand out because they make detailed examinations of even the most obscure topics fascinating. Cartographies of Time: A History of the Timeline ($32) certainly follows this pattern and will appeal to anyone with a love of history or design. Lavishly illustrated and packed with historical documentation, this book examines the...

The attention put into product design is something most consumers ignore. Sure it’s easy to pick up on the design work put into things like the iPad, Hennessey Venom GT, or the beer belly, but the reality is that just about every product out there today was (hopefully) made with some degree of tedium to...

In the world of comics, Alex Ross is a legendary artist known for his ultra realistic paintings of the world’s most powerful characters in fiction. Rough Justice ($20) is a complication of choice works from his sketchbooks and is a must have for any fan who appreciates the art of comics as much as the...

Paul Newman left his mark on the planet in countless ways. He was a man’s man of an actor, a national championship winning race car driver, and an incredibly generous philanthropist. He was also a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving in a variety of capacities including bomber turret gunner, and the father of three...

Everyone knows Hollywood is a money making machine and has been for years, but thanks to studio secrecy, few understand why this is and how it works. Written by the renowned investigative journalist Edward Jay Epstein, who holds a Ph.D from Harvard and has published books previously on everything from the Diamond industry to Lee...

Normally, we’d never showcase any kind of book dealing with those grey area subjects such as self-help or self-improvement. That’s because, in the majority of situations, these books really boil down to self-aggrandizing dribble spat out by “experts” whose only credentials appear to be a hefty helping of ego and knowing the name of a...